City of Seattle providing free trees to residents

A tree planting project, organized by the City of Seattle reLeaf program, is coming back this fall. The participants in Trees for Neighborhood will receive free trees, a watering bag and mulch for each tree, training on proper planting and care, assistance applying for street planting permits, ongoing care reminders, and pruning workshop opportunities.

Trees for Neighborhood has helped Seattle residents plant trees at their homes or in the street since 2009. As of now, 6,300 trees have been planted and those trees have helped to clean the air and water, absorb carbon dioxide, and provide shade for buildings, which results in less energy use in the hot summer months.

The City of Seattle has set a goal to expand canopy cover to 30 percent by 2037, an increase from our current 23 percent. To achieve this goal, the city needs the help of residents, since two-thirds of the land in Seattle is privately owned.

Applications for Trees for Neighborhoods will be accepted online (seattle.gov/trees/treesforneighborhoods.htm) through Aug. 8. Participants will be chosen by lottery. If trees are still available after the first lottery, the city will conduct a second lottery. Before applying, consider the size and species of trees you want.

Last year’s participant, Pingping Qu, said Seattle reLeaf’s seminars and programs were helpful. “They talked about the rules associated with planting trees, for example, what kind of trees to plant, where to plant them, and how to plant them and take care of them once you get the trees.”